Escape chute



Aug. 25, 1959 s FAlRCHlLDs ETAL 2,901,055

ESCAPE CHUTE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 13, 1957 Aug. 25, 1959 B; S. FAIRCHILDS ET AL ESCAPE CHUTE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 15, 1957 INVENTORS BERTRAM $.FAIRCHILD5 BY Paul. C. FORWARD,

United States Patent ESCAPE CHUTE Bertram S. Fairchilds and Paul C; Forward, Miami, Fla.

Application May 13, 1957, Serial No. 658,572 1 Claim. (Cl. 182-49) This invention relates primarily to an escape chute for facilitating the safe escape of persons or removal of cargo from an aircraft making a forced landing where no rigid stairway or ramp is available, the exit from the aircraft in suchcases being unusually high above the ground. It is also susceptible in use in other situations calling for an emergency escape chute.

The invention contemplates a flexible suitable fabric that is foldable or rollable into a relatively compact package for storage at a convenient point within the aircraft to be subsequently extended and projected from the doorway of the aircraft and with the device having a length whereby it will extend for the maximum distance from the doorway of the aircraft to be angularly disposed to constitute a relatively easy chute into which persons may quickly and easily slide to the ground.

The invention further contemplates novel connecting means between the upper end of the chute whereby the chute is accurately disposed within the doorway of the aircraft to prevent accidental falling or sliding over the edge of the chute during the descent of the person or persons. The invention further contemplates novel structural means that constitutes the chute and with the chute being reinforced both longitudinally and transversely and with the transverse reinforcing being extended outwardly beyond the edges of the chute in an alternate manner to constitute hand loops whereby the aircraft personnel may lower themselves to the ground so that at least two of the personnel may hold the lowermost loops to maintain the chute in a steady manner during the discharge of the passengers.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the chute in the connected extended relation with respect to an aircraft,

Figure 2 is a front view thereof,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the chute in flat form prior to use or storage,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section taken substantially on line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view illustrating the connecting means to the aircraft and Figure 7 is a longitudinal section with the connecting means in operative engagement, taken on line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Referring specifically to 5 designates the aircraft having a door opening 6. Fixedly disposed at convenient points adjacent the doorway of the aircraft are a plurality of wedge blocks 7. The wedge blocks 7 are provided with spring detents the drawings, the numeral 7 8. Referring particularly to Figure 3, the escape chute has been indicated as a whole by the numeral 9 and is formed of a section of flexible material such as vinyl coated nylon. The chute is generally tapered in length .and has an upper end, indicated by the numeral 10 and a lower end indicated by the numeral 11. The upper end of the chute is formed diagonally inwardly from its opposite corners as at 12 that constitute forming means whereby the chute when in assembled relation will have its sides upwardly inclined to form longitudinal barriers against the person slipping or accidentally falling from the chute. A straight portion 13 connects the two diagonal portions.12 constituting the bottom of the chute. The upper end 10 is reinforced by a continuous section of webbing 14, while the lower end 11 is transversely reinforced by folding the material upon itself as at 15, .see particularly Figure 5. i

The chute further longitudinally reinforced by a plurality of strips of webbing 16, and with all of the reinforcing being suitably stitched in multiple rows to impart additional strength to the device. Certain of the longitudinal webs 16 are extended beyond the upper end of the chute at each opposite corner and adjacent to the area forming the bottom of the chute and these extended webbings are connected through slots 17 formed in mating wedge blocks 18. The wedge blocks 7 and 18 are undercut and grooved respectively in a tapering manner whereby to have a wedging engagement with each other in a horizontal motion and held against displacement in a vertical or lateral manner. The detents 8 and the wedge blocks 7 are adapted to have a snapping engagement into a recess 19 formed in each of the blocks 18 and whereby to prevent accidental longitudinal shifting of the blocks with respect to each other.

As .a further means to reinforce the chute, there has been provided a substantially continuous section of transverse webbing 20. The webbing 20 is stitched through the fabric and also stitched through the longitudinal webbing 16 and with the webbing 20 being extended at opposite sides of the chute to form hand loops 21. The lowermost flight and the webbing 20 may be reversed as at 22, to form an additional loop at the lower end 11 and whereby aircraft personnel may hold the chute at the ground level against lateral shifting. The particular material employed has been selected as being extremely tough and whereby to avoid damage by the heel of persons sliding down the chute, and the longitudinal and transverse webbing provide an exceptionally strong flexible unit that is capable of supporting a very considerable weight.

In the use of the device, the chute is normally folded or rolled into a compact package and preferably stored within the aircraft at a point closely adjacent the door opening. When the aircraft is compelled to make an emergency landing at a point where no available landing stairs or ramps are available, the aircraft personnel unrolls the chute so that it will drape downwardly from the door opening at the same time the blocks 18 are engaged with the blocks 7 to have snapping engagement with the detents 8. At least two of the aircraft personnel will then lower themselves by the hand loops 21 until they reach the ground, .at which time they grasp the lowermost loops 21 and 22, holding the chute in an angular position away from the plane and at the ground level, at which time persons may readily escape by sliding down the chute. With the corner blocks 18 engaged with their respective mating blocks 7, the sides of the chute are held upwardly forming a barrier against persons accidentally falling from the side of the device. After the passengers have been evacuated, it may become necessary for certain of the personnel to again enter the plane, at which time they can climb upwardly by again using the loops 7. The device is highly repellent to moisture and mildew and will have a relatively long life.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An emergency escape chute for aircraft that is adapted to be detachably connected into the access doorway of an aircraft to be extended and directed downwardly and outwardly angled to the ground level and whereby the chute which forms a trough for the sliding escape of aircraft passengers, the chute when in the extended position being convergent toward its lower end, the chute being formed of a section of a fiexible material having a bottom and upwardly and outwardly inclined side walls and whereby the chute is generally U-shaped transversely, the chute being reinforced both longitudinally and transversely by relatively wide fabric strips, the longitudinal reinforcing being extended beyond the upper end of the chute along the marginal edges of the side walls and at points upon the bending of the side walls and the bottom and whereby to receive detachable connectors for anchoring the chute into the access doorway of the aircraft, the transverse reinforcing being in one piece and alternately extended beyond the marginal edges of the side walls to form hand loops and whereby to create a ladder and a means for manually holding the chute in the extended position outwardly from the plane, the chute being col lapsible into a relatively small package for storage within the aircraft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 276,973 Kelly May 1, 1883 282,478 Woodbury July 31, 1883 1,599,391 Anderson Sept. 7,v 1926 2,249,897 Hammill July 22, 1941 2,775,288 Anastasia Dec. 25, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,034,114 France Apr. 8, 1953 

